Bacterial Respiration Used as a Proxy to Evaluate the Bacterial Load in Cooling Towers.

ABSTRACT: Evaporative cooling towers to dissipate excess process heat are essential installations in a variety of industries. The constantly moist environment enables substantial microbial growth, causing both operative challenges (e.g., biocorrosion) as well as health risks due to the potential aerosolization of pathogens. Currently, bacterial levels are monitored using rather slow and infrequent sampling and cultivation approaches. In this study, we describe the use of metabolic activity, namely oxygen respiration, as an alternative measure of bacterial load within cooling tower waters. This method is based on optical oxygen sensors that enable an accurate measurement of oxygen consumption within a closed volume. We show that oxygen consumption correlates with currently used cultivation-based meth

SUBMITTER: Toman S 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC7665125 | biostudies-literature | 2020 Nov

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature